There is a projected global shortage for benzene which is generally obtained, along with other aromatic hydrocarbons, by separating a feedstock fraction which is rich in aromatic compounds, such as reformate produced through a catalytic reforming process and pyrolysis gasolines produced through a naphtha cracking process, from non-aromatic hydrocarbons using a solvent extraction process. To meet this projected supply shortage, numerous catalysts and processes for on-purpose production of aromatics (including benzene) from alkanes containing six or less carbon atoms per molecule have been investigated. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,350,835 describes a process for converting ethane-containing gaseous feeds to aromatics using a crystalline zeolite catalyst of the ZSM-5-type family containing a minor amount of Ga. As another example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,186,871 describes aromatization of C1-C4 alkanes using a catalyst containing Pt and ZSM-5.
It is well known to add certain blending components to gasolines to improve the properties thereof such as the RON or the MON. Commonly used blending components include naphthas (e.g., straight-run gasoline, alkylate, reformate, toluene, xylene), cracked gasoline, pyrolysis gasoline, and paraffinic hydrocarbons.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,353,143 describes fuel compositions which are comprised of a branched hydrocarbon, such as an isoparaffin, and an aromatic hydrocarbon. An example of a suitable aromatic hydrocarbon given is AROMATIC 150 Fluid from Exxon Chemical which typically is composed of a narrow-cut aromatic solvent containing about 23 wt. % tetra-methyl benzenes, about 22 wt. % ethyl dimethyl benzenes, about 15 wt. % mono-, di- and tri-methyl indanes, about 8 wt. % diethyl benzenes, about 8 wt. % naphthalene, about 5 wt. % trimethyl benzenes, about 2 wt. % indane, and about 1 wt. % or less of methyl ethyl benzenes, propyl benzenes, methyl propyl benzenes, butyl benzenes, hexyl benzenes, indene, methyl naphthalenes, and xylenes. Another example of an aromatic hydrocarbon given is AROMATIC 100 which typically is composed of a narrow-cut aromatic solvent containing about 40 wt. % trimethyl benzenes, about 35 wt. % methyl ethyl benzenes, about 1 wt. % propyl and isopropyl benzenes, about 3 wt. % ethyl dimethyl benzenes, about 2 wt. % methyl(n- and iso-) propyl benzenes, about 2 wt. % diethyl benzenes, less than about 1 wt. % each of mono butyl benzenes and tetramethyl benzenes, about 6 wt. % xylenes, and minor amounts of ethyl benzene and C10-C11 saturates.